Star Search
by JBaby1121
Summary: Saotome Records decides to hold a Star Search, a chance for artists to show off and win a once in a lifetime deal. During the submission period, Ren meets a little songbird that catches his eyes and ears. RenxOC
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The recording studio was abuzz with the news Saotome posted on a bulletin that was sent around the office. All of the executives, artists, assistants-the janitors even—were talking non-stop about this. His newest publicity stunt: The Saotome Shining Star Search. The prize: A $1 million dollar recording contract, a chance to record a song or two with one of the members of STARISH and then _perform_ that song live in concert.

The guys' feelings on the Star Search? They were excited beyond all get out, especially Ittoki and Syo. As a matter of fact, it was Ittoki and Syo who even gave Saotome the idea. The two had thought of it when they saw that a person with amazing talent receive a record deal from just posting their videos on the Internet.

It was probably a week after Shining Saotome posted the bulletin around the office. Everyone was busy making preparations that day while the group went to film the official commercial for the contest.

Haruka walked to the dressing room, knocking on the door twice before shyly peeking her head in. "A-Are you guys ready?" she asked, both eyes closed. The last time she stuck her head in there she accidently saw Tokiya in his underwear. Peeping through one eye, she saw that all of the members were dressed; she smiled and entered the dressing room.

"Aren't we always ready, little lamb?" Ren smiled.

"Yes, you are but,"

"No buts." Tokiya smiled. Something rare that was always available for the group's songwriter. "We will be fine, as long at Otoya doesn't mess up his lines."

"Hey! No fair! I know _my_ lines, it's Syo that keeps messing me up," Ittoki whined playfully. The group laughed when Syo pushed the red head. With a laugh, Ittoki straightened himself up. "So, how many people do you think will actually join?" he asked.

"Does that include the ones with no actual talent?" Masato questioned.

"Then that would be everyone who sees this promo and think that they have a chance." Tokiya sighed.

"Either way, you guys need to hurry and get on the set. They're starting to lose patience,"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"…And the winner will get the chance to record a single with their favorite STARISH member on top of performing live at our next concert!" Ittoki's excited voice rang throughout the crowded lunch room.

"So, all of you talented ladies send in your best," Ren's sultry voice evoked a chorus of excited squeals from a group of young girls. They had been watching the promo on a friend's phone. They were ecstatic, beyond ecstatic. The thought of them being able to sing with STARISH was a dream come true for some of them. The thought of them being able to even record with such an infamous recording company such as Saotome Records excited them all. But they knew; they just knew that not all of them had what it took.

Just like they agreed on how most of them didn't have what it took. They also agreed that two of their friends did have whatever they were looking for. "Kanae, Ami, you two would be perfect!" One of the girls smiled at a girl with dark pink hair.

"I don't know about me, but Ami certainly would!" Kanae objected, giving her friend a small smile. The girl named Ami just smiled sheepishly, twirling a piece of her curly black locks in her finger.

"I don't think so…" she said with a shy giggle.

"But come on you two!" One girl pleaded. "If both of you enter, one you damn sure has a chance of at least getting in the final cut!"

"Please, do it for us!" Another one added.

Ami blinked, nervously scratching her cheek as she looked from the girls across the table from her, to Kanae. "I-I'm not sure…only if Kanae enters," Ami stammered. She looked at her dear friend with pleading eyes. Ami was too nervous, unsure of her abilities to even think of sending in a tape of her singing to be analyzed by professionals with hit records out. She couldn't do that unless she knew for a fact that a friend was going to do it. Something about seeing someone else she knew doing something made her feel better about doing it herself. Silly right?

Kanae smiled reassuringly at Ami, nodding as she stuck her thumb up. "Sure, why not. It'll be fun," Kanae giggled. Ami smiled in relief, giving her a giggle as well before she saw her friend offer her pinkie. "Let's both do our best, Ami-chan," Kanae smiled.

"Of course!" Ami grinned. She locked her pinky with her best friends, giving a happy and excited laugh.

The table was soon filled with excited chatter, as well as song suggestions for the two. Both just listened and laughed at their friends' actions.

"Hey! Ami, Kanae!" One girl exclaimed out of the blue. "Whoever wins has to get everyone first row tickets and backstage passes!" The other girls chimed in with, "Yeah!" "Do it!" and "We'd do it for you!"

After being bullied into it, Kanae let out a loud laugh before nodding her head. "Alright, alright, it's a deal!" she smiled. "When we do win, you guys have to cheer as loud as possible! Got it?" she demanded with an amused laugh.

"We have to win first, Kanae," Ami reminded her.

With a playful pout, Kanae gave Ami's cheek a rather tight pinch. Ami flailed as she whined, holding her cheek when Kanae finally let it go. "Don't be so negative, alright Ami-chan?" Kanae smiled. Ami nodded, rubbing her reddened cheek. She finally smiled before she looked down at the clock on her phone.

She gasped as she jolted up, startling the other girls around them. Everyone looked at Ami with somewhat confused looks. "Ami-chan…?" Kanae asked.

"It's time for class, Kanae! We gotta get going!" she exclaimed before bolting to the door. Confused, Kanae quickly looked at her own phone before racing after Ami. When they were gone, their friends just laughed loudly.

Those two deserved to be best friends.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Once their classes had finished, Ami raced back to her dorm to tell her parents the great news. Entering the dorm, Ami quickly dropped her books and picked up the phone. She giggled excitedly as she listened to the phone ring. It rung three times before a woman's voice answered.

"Mama!" Ami squealed happily. She could tell the woman on the other end had been startled because she heard the small thud of the phone. "Mama?" she asked again.

"I'm here, Ami," the woman smiled. "What's got you all in an uproar?" she asked with a small laugh.

"Have you heard of the Saotome Shining Star Search contest, Mama?" Ami asked excitedly. She skipped around her room before plopping down on the large couch.

The woman paused on the other end for a while. "Is it that singing contest? Yes, in fact I was going to call you as soon as you got out of classes for the day." She let out a soft chuckle. "Are you going to join, Ami dear?"

Ami nodded enthusiastically as she kicked her shoes off. "I am! So is Kanae," she answered with a slight lilt.

"Wonderful, I'm sure you'll do your complete best, right?" her "Mama" asked.

"I always give my best, Mama. And I'm sure Kanae is going to keep me working my ass—I mean butt—off." She corrected herself quickly as soon as that slipped out. Her "Mama" didn't approve of that kind of language, despite her father using it every time his favorite sports team lost a game or made a stupid play. It was quite amusing to see "Mama's" face at that time.

"Most of all, Ami," she started, her voice a little more serious than before.

"Hm...What is it Mama? What's wrong?" Ami questioned. She's only ever heard that tone once, and it was a life or death situation.

"No matter what happens, be there for Kanae and keep her safe. You're like a sister to her, so make sure nothing bad happens to her."

Ami blinked before giving a gentle sigh. "Of course Mama," she smiled sadly. She knew exactly what her "Mama" was talking about. Kanae was beyond competitive, most of that having to do with how her parents raised her. She took every little thing to heart and hated losing.

Ami hated how she would react whenever she would lose. The last time Kanae lost something that she was overly competitive about, was their final high school talent show. The two finalists were her and Ami…you can already guess who won. Even though Kanae acted as if she was fine…there was a dark cloud that hung around her, only growing worse when her parents berated and degraded her in the lobby of the auditorium.

The following days after that, Kanae just fell deeper into her despair. It even got so bad that Kanae asked if she could live with them for a couple of months. Ami felt so horrible for her; Kanae had gotten probably the worse deal ever for a dreamer like her, being born into a family with dreams so realistic that anything that seemed to be an unsteady or degrading job just did not fit in the plans they had made for her daughter. In short, her parents didn't believe Kanae had any kind of talent whatsoever, despite what others said.

Ami was lucky…she had a father and adoptive mother that loved her to the ends of time. She couldn't speak for her real mother, seeing as how the woman waltzed out of her life when she was three…but despite that woman's folly, Ami still lived a life full of support. She was grateful beyond grateful for it.

Ami sat up with a sigh after realizing she had been trapped in her own thoughts for the better half of 30 minutes. Stretching her arms out, she stood and walked out of her dorm and across the hall to Kanae's.

She knocked gently on the door before twisting the handle. The door opened with a pain staking groan and Ami frowned before she poked her head inside the room. Scanning it quietly, she saw Kanae leaning on the kitchen counter, the phone in one hand as a blank expression crossed her face.

"Kanae?" Ami called out to her.

Kanae looked up and held a finger up, before using it to wave her in quietly. Ami pouted as she sat down on the couch, watching her friend's face pale.

Kanae's frown deepened. It may have been a question of what was being said to Ami, but to her…it was a matter of how they were saying it. "Mom, can I finally say something?" Kanae asked once the debasing had finished.

"What is it, Kanae?"

"I'm going to submit something to the Star Search contest, me and Ami both."

"Why would you let Ami enter a contest with you? You know you're going to lose this, Kanae." Her father had taken the phone away from her mother. His voice was harsher than Kanae's mother. It belonged to a man with a hard, no nonsense personality.

"I wish you'd believe in me," she mumbled softly as she looked down at the counter. Ami frowned, suddenly feeling bad that she had decided to join the contest. Maybe she could change her mind and not enter, no but she had already made a promise to her mother and friends. She couldn't let them down, but she couldn't stand to see Kanae be shamed by her parents.

"We do, but we also know how far your talent goes, Kanae. You're not good enough to even be considered in the finals." Her mother said, in a somewhat softer tone.

Kanae frown deepened as she hung up, not bothering to listen for their goodbye. "Damn it," she mumbled under her breath. She sighed heavily, hiding her hands in her face. She'll show them…she'll send in her best and win that damned contest. They can bet their asses on that, Kanae thought with a vicious conviction. She sniffled as she straightened up, feeling a pair of arms around her shoulders. "Ami,"

"Don't listen to them, Kana-chan, you'll be fantastic," Ami smiled softly as she laid her head on her friends shoulder.

Kanae gave a wane grin as she patted her best friend's shoulder. "Thanks Ami," she smiled weakly.

Ami giggled softly as she nuzzled her shoulder before grabbing her hand. "Smile now, Kanae," she said as she led her to the door. "Professor Ui doesn't like it when the singers frown."

Kanae gave forth a dry chuckle as she followed her friend out of the apartment. Ami's cheerfulness was infectious it was shocking. Ami, her best friend in the world, how could she be so upbeat and cheerful all the time? This woman had had even worse parental drama than her, and she had both of her real parents. How did she do it? Kanae wished she had her secret. Kanae looked up at her friend as they walked to their next class.

A part of her wanted Ami to win and be happy….it was a very miniscule part.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

A week had passed since the start of the contest and so far around 500 entries had been submitted to them. Some of them were good and some were bad, but so far none of them had that defining factor that impressed all of the guys. The voices had a sound that tried to mimic whatever artist created the song submitted. It was generic, it was boring, and it wasn't what they wanted. Even if the submitter had an amazing voice.

Ren had just passed song 100 as he walked through the streets of Japan. He frowned as he listened to one song. He had never once in his life discouraged anybody from doing anything, but he really wanted that person to stop singing. They were flat when they were supposed to be sharp and tried to hit the one high note that made the song famous. Unfortunately they didn't.

Tired of listening to that song he turned to another song, becoming annoyed with that one as well. After two and half minutes of pure torture, Ren just cut his iPod off. He sighed as he ran a hand through his golden locks, looking up at the sky. It was clear as the sun beamed down on them, warming his skin. He couldn't help but wonder if the other guys had as tough of a time with the songs they chose as he did. Maybe they found someone with a nice voice.

Shoving his hands in his pockets, Ren waited for the light to change. He was going to head to a small jazz bistro that a friend of his owned. What he listened to just made him extremely hungry somehow. The signal to walk lit up and he walked with the crowd down the street for another block until he saw a small crowd gathered on the corner.

A gentle voice accompanied by soft guitar music emanated from the center of the crowd. It piqued his interest. Ghosting around the crowd, he peeked over their shoulders and heads to see a young woman leaning against the corner. She held a large guitar in her hands as long slender fingers strummed out beautiful chords. The young woman had an exotic look to her. Black curls framed a heart shaped face as the sun made her brown ski radiate.

Her eyes were closed as she sung heartfelt lyrics, alluring the crowd to throw any spare change, even some bills, into the open guitar case. Ren closed his eyes as he let the lyrics proclaiming unrequited love ring through his ears and soul. This woman, whoever she was, deserved to have some kind of deal. Maybe she had sent in a song.

If she did, it would have been a lovely and refreshing change. At risk of sounding like a man from out of one of the many Shoujo manga that Haruka would read, he had to know that woman's name.

Once she finished singing, the crowd applauded her and threw even more money in the case before dispersing and heading on about their merry ways. Ren was the only one who remained. He stood as he watched the girl put the money she had earned into a small coin purse and wallet. After clearing it out, she laid the guitar back into its bed and strapped the case on her shoulder. "Excuse me, miss," Ren started.

"Uchida, Uchida Ami," a voice as sweet as it was when singing answered him. The brown skinned woman turned around, looking at him with surprising blue eyes as she smiled. "Can I help you, mister-?"

"Jinguuji Ren," Ren smiled in amusement as he watched her eyes widen.

"O-Oh my God…you _are_ him!" she exclaimed with a delighted squeal. Ren chuckled quietly as he ran a hand through his hair again.

"Hai, I am. Listen, I couldn't help but hear your voice, Uchida-san." Ren smiled down at her. Her eyes seemed to light up even more at the statement.

"Th-Thank you so much, Jinguuji-san!" she squealed. The woman named Ami looked up at him, a large grin plastered on her full lips. They stood in silence for a moment, only the sounds of the bustling streets behind them were heard…

Then a low gurgle broke through the silence. Ami's face heated up as she quickly folded her small hands over her stomach. Ren just laughed. Whether it was supposed to be funny or not, he just laughed. She was a refreshing change of pace from the other women that his line of work caused him to meet.

"How about I take you to lunch, Aoi-me?" he offered after clearing his throat.

"Lunch…m-me?" she was surprised, still on a high from just talking to one of the most famous singers in Japan.

Ren nodded as he pulled out a large bill. "It's my treat Aoi-me." His smile, his smile that made so many women swoon, had the same effect on her.

She giggled sheepishly as she nodded, her blush deepening when her stomach growled at them again. "S-Sure, Jinguuji-sama."

Ami couldn't believe it. She was actually having lunch with Jinguuji Ren from STARISH. It was a dream that had come true for her. At every sentence that left his lips, she found herself listening to carefully, as if it was going to be the last thing she would ever hear in her life. On more than one occasion she found herself staring at his lips. Brought out of her daze by a soft chuckle, Ami looked up at the star in front of her.

"I-I'm sorry, wh-what did you say?" Ami asked, her face heating in embarrassment. She didn't even hear what he was talking about.

"I was going to ask you if you were going to enter the contest, Aoi-me," he repeated as he took a sip of his drink.

She gave another embarrassed nod along with a smile. "Hai, I just need to find a song," she admitted. She looked up at him to see another smile on his face. Did he usually smile so much?

"I'm sure you will find a great song. With a voice like yours, you can make any song your own." Ren looked down at her, delighted at the sudden sparkle her eyes held.

"Arigatou," she smiled, nervously brushing a stray curl behind her ear as she looked in her cup. She blushed as a silence passed over them again. She didn't know what to say. No. She _did_ know what to say, but she didn't know if he was going to take it the wrong way. She wanted to know what drew him to her. His personality, as they portrayed him on the gossip shows on T.V, was that of a playboy who only dated a certain type of woman.

She certainly wasn't his type.

After a few moments of silence, Ren cleared his throat, sensing that the little songbird was growing nervous. He honestly didn't mind sitting in the quiet as long as it was with her. Her refreshing, turn of pace, personality was what he needed. Plus, it gave him a reason to shirk away from his abilities.

"I was wondering something, Aoi-me,"

"I was raised by my father, who was Japanese, after he brought me here from my mother's home in America."

"I…wasn't going to ask that."

"…Oh," her blush deepened. She felt like a total fool. She had been asked that so many times, it had become an automatic response. "I'm sorry; I've just gotten so used to that being a first question,"

"I understand Aoi-me. It must have been hard growing up different from your classmates,"

Ami nodded, watching her fingers as they wrapped around the tea cup. "It was," Harder than he could've imagined. He was lucky; he wasn't treated as an outcast for most of his life by people he wanted to be his friends. It sucked being part of two worlds, but living in one.

Ren opened his mouth to speak before his phone started to ring. Damn, he thought as he pulled out his phone. Seeing that that caller was none other than Haruka, he answered it smoothly. "Yes, little lamb?" he asked. He looked over at Ami when he saw her raise an arched eyebrow.

"Jinguuji-san, are you almost finished with your lunch?" Haruka asked. "We need to finish recording."

Ren nodded as he started to shift through his pockets. "Hai, I'm just finishing up something sweet now," he replied, giving Ami a gentle wink. He chuckled when he saw her blush and diverted her gaze back down to the cup. "I'll be there in a few minutes, little lamb."

"Oh, alright, Jinguuji-san."

He turned to Ami when she hung up. "It seems my work needs me Aoi-me," Ren smiled as he pulled out his wallet. Pulling out a bill he slipped it on the table and placed his cup on top of it. "I'm sorry that this has to be cut short."

Ami shook her head with a smile, her face still flushed from his previous comment. "I understand Jinguuji-san." She looked up to see him holding out a small card white card decorated with music notes circling a large red rose.

"Call me whenever you need something," Ren smiled as she accepted the card. "Until then, ja mata ne, Aoi-me."

He left the restaurant and Ami sighed, feeling her insides completely turn to gush as he heart pounded uncontrollably. That really did happen, didn't it?


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

When Ami arrived back to the dorms, she immediately dropped her stuff off before heading to Kanae's room. She was too excited to not tell someone of her day. And who else better than her best friend?

Knocking on the door repeatedly, Ami bounced as she waited, still high off Ren. She sighed as she waited when it felt as if it hit the five minute mark. Maybe she was sleep or recording her song. If that was the case, then it could wait. Ami would simply let her excitement fester and bubble up until she released it to someone.

Turning on her heels to leave, she finally heard the door open. Ami whirled back around to see Kanae standing in the door way, her clothes and pink hair disheveled. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she looked Ami up and down. "What the hell got you so excited?" she finally asked.

"You will never believe what happened to me today, Kanae!" Ami exclaimed as she entered the apartment, earning a confused and cross look. _Well just walk on in,_ Kanae thought as she closed the door behind her. She watched Ami twirl around before plopping on the couch.

"Are you going to spill it, Ami? I want to finish my nap." Kanae asked crossly. Ami sat up, sending a small glare at her friend as she stuck her tongue out. Who pissed in her cornflakes that morning/?

"Well, I was playing on the corner a block from that small jazz club we went to a few months ago and guess who I saw," Ami squealed softly as she fixed her position.

"The Prime Minister of Tokyo? Spill it sister, who did you see that got you all in a fuss?"

"Jinguuji Ren-sama!" Ami exclaimed, bouncing in her seat. She smiled widely as Kanae's face turned from shock to disbelief.

"Yeah right, I don't believe it,"

"Oh but I did! He complimented my singing and everything! He even took me to lunch!"

Okay, that was a little bit too ridiculous. No way Ren asked her out to lunch. It wasn't like she was ugly or anything; No, Kanae wasn't saying that. It was just; everybody who knew Ren or knew of him knew he had a certain type of women that he chased after. And Ami was nowhere near his type. The onna was too damn sweet and gentle. Not at all a "video vixen" to sum up the women he had been seen with.

Kanae just shook her head, positive that her jaw had dropped clean to the floor. "Lemme get this straight. You are telling me that THE one and only Jinguuji Ren took you out to lunch after hearing you play on a corner like a hobo?"

Ami frowned; she didn't like the tone her friend's voice held. Crossing her arms under her ample bosoms, she huffed whilst she puffed her cheeks out before plopping down on the couch across from hers. "I won't try to make you believe me then Miss Cynicism," Ami pouted. She lay back on the sofa, still on her high though.

Seeing Ami's peeved reaction, Kanae sat up. She ran a hand through her hair with a heavy sigh. "Alright, so let's say that he did talk to you, take you out to dinner. What was he like?"

Ami looked up, a large grin surfaced on her full lips. "He was a complete gentleman. He was so nice and easy to talk to," Ami admitted. She gave a soft giggle as her eyes became unfocused, as if she went into a trance. "And the way he looked at me," she sighed dreamily. "It was so…so docile."

"Looks like you've been bit, Ami," Kanae teased. Oh she jested, but on the inside she was again wondering why someone like Ren would be interested in Ami. After witnessing the blush spread across Ami's honey brown skin, she changed the subject. She asked her if she had gotten any progress done on her recording. Ami shook her head as she sat up on the couch.

"Not yet, I'm still having trouble finding a song." Blue eyes looked up at Kanae, "Have you found a song yet?" she questioned.

"Not yet." That was a lie. She had a song; she just didn't want Ami to know about it. Her competiveness had started to make its appearance.

Ren stood in the recording booth, playing a rich and smooth melody on his sax. It was for the newest CD that STARISH was putting out. It was going to be collection of solos that the members were to write. Ren's was soft with a bluesy feel that was accomplished by the sax solo he was playing at that moment.

He finished with a sustained note that tapered off near the last measure. It wasn't finished though, the song he had wrote was at least 4 minutes, he had probably around a minute-minute and a half worth of saxophone. He looked up and motioned to Haruka to cut it off. When she did, he left the booth and sat down on the large velvet couch in the studio. It was just him and Haruka, which was a small surprise, especially since Haruka and Tokiya had then became a thing.

The songwriter swirled around in the chair, watching the singer as he pulled out a pencil and a sheet of paper with staffs and what little he had of his solo on it. Ren took to writing out a possible continuance, humming it in his head.

He hadn't realized he had started humming something else until Haruka asked what song he was singing. Looking up with a slightly embarrassed smile, Ren chuckled apologetically. "What was that, little lamb?" he asked, finally coming out of his musical daze.

"That song you were humming sounded beautiful," Haruka smiled at him. "Did you write it?" she asked.

Ren blinked before shaking his head. "No, I heard a little songbird singing it on the corner."

"Corner what corner?" she asked. She was truly interested.

"The corner before you'd arrive at Rose." Ren chuckled. "Aoi-me has a beautiful voice."

"Aoi-me?" Haruka asked. She watched Ren as he gave a nod and a slight smile. "She must be pretty if you already have a name for her Jinguuji-senpai." She continued.

"She has a certain something about her that's…refreshing to say the least," Ren looked down at his watch and then stood, seeing that it was now 8 at night. "Tell me little lamb, is Tokiya going to come and take you home?" he asked.

Haruka's cheeks brightened to a light pink. She nodded as she looked down at her hands on her lap. Though everyone in the group, even most of the people who worked in the company, knew of her relationship with Tokiya it still made her blush at the mention of it. "He's going to take me out to dinner tonight," she included, her face becoming redder.

Ren nodded as he packed his things, grabbing his sax's case and sliding the music into the side pocket. "Can I ask you something else?"

Haruka looked up, something in his tone grabbing her attention. "Y-Yes Jinguuji-san?"

"Is he loving you right?" he asked. When he saw her face redden deeper than the shirt she had on, he chuckled again. "I guess that answers my question, little lamb," he gave her a gentle smirk before going to the door.

Haruka flushed violently, her eyes wide in shock. Where would he get such a question from? _Why _would he have such a question in his mind anyways? Haruka hid her blushing face behind her hair. The most embarrassing part about the entire question was that he said it so bluntly it startled her.

Ren just laughed softly as he opened the door to see Tokiya standing in front of it. "Ja mata ne, Ichinose," Ren walked past him before stopping. "Make sure you take care of little lamb tonight."

Tokiya raised an eyebrow before turning his attention to Haruka who just looked at him sheepishly, her face redder than ever. Seeing her blushing face, although he found it cute (just everything else about the onna), it still made him wonder what had happened when he wasn't there. Turning his head, attempting to ask Ren what happened, he frowned. The blond had left just that quickly. He looked back at Haruka. "What the hell happened?" he asked.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Ren had left the building, laughing to himself. Even though he'd probably catch hell from Tokiya tomorrow, he had to have a little fun with the couple. With a deep breath, he breathed in the fresh air of Nagasaki as he looked at the night sky. A blanket of black with sprinkles of white all over it. Beautiful, simply beautiful.

Looking down at his watch, he got into the car that was waiting for him. Sliding into the back seat, he laid his sax in the back seat. "Take me to Rose, will you?" Ren asked as he patted the driver's shoulder. The driver looked over at him and gave a nod before driving off. Ren lay back in the seat, watching the nightlife of Japan roll by him. Couples walked arm in arm, groups of scantily clad young women were walking to the nearest nightclub.

Giving a soft chuckle he watched as the driver pulled up to the curb of Rose. The line to get in was so long that some of the potential customers were standing outside the window. He just chuckled as he got out of the car, his doing so attracting many whispers of awe from the customers. He flashed some of them a routine smile before heading inside.

On the inside, the waiting area was even more crowded than the outside. He was greeted, however, by one of the waitresses. She knew that he had a reserved table no matter how bad the day would get. Ren followed her until he saw the little songbird from earlier. She was dressed quite beautifully, her curls falling to frame her face in a very sensual way. "Aoi-me?" he called, stopping to the side of where she was seated.

Ami sat on one of the benches in the waiting area. She sighed, her stomach growling to the beat of one of the songs playing over the radio. She sighed heavier. She had gotten there early, but still to no avail she was thrust into having to wait like everyone else on a Friday Night. Brought out of her hunger induced stupor by hearing someone call out, she looked up to see Ren standing next to her, a gentle smile on his face.

"Jinguuji-san?" she asked, giving him a large smile. "What are you doing here?" It was quite a stupid question, but she didn't think about its stupidity until it left her lips. She followed it up with a gentle and apologetic blush.

Ren just chuckled as he ran a hand through his hair. "I was coming to get a quick bite to eat, care to join me Aoi-me?" The smile he flashed made her brain melt.

"Are you sure it's going to be okay?" she asked.

The innocence of her expression just made him laugh. Seeing him laugh, she giggled uneasily. Even though she was unsure of what the joke was. When he finished laughing, he held his hand out to her. "Come on, seeing such a beautiful onna will certainly make this food go down easier." He watched her blush before she took his hand and stood.

Ami's blush was as deep as it could get. She was positive that everyone was staring at her as she walked to Ren's table, her arm locked in his. The waitress seated them and handed them the menus before leaving them.

"So, Aoi-me," he started with a smile. "How was your day?" he asked is so plainly that it startled her. He asked her it like they have known each other for a while.

"It wasn't bad," she smiled. "I went to classes and I met you," she added with a blush.

Ren raised an eyebrow before smiling. He took a sip of the complimentary wine as he leaned back in the booth. "Well my day was interesting. I had to listen to dreadful recordings until I met a beautiful little songbird." He jested as he winked at her. He chuckled when he saw her blush deepen before hiding her face behind the menu. "If you don't mind me asking, why are you blushing so much, Aoi-me?"

Ren could hear a bashful squeak come from behind the menu. She stammered out a reply that earned another chuckle from Ren. Peeking out from the menu, Ami gave a soft smile. "If you don't mind me asking Jinguuji-san, why do you chuckle so much?"

This time it was Ren's turn to blush, even though it was barely visible. He leaned back and looked at her, a gentle smile on his lips. "Because you are amusing, Aoi-me." He admitted, earning another blush from his beautiful companion.

"Am I really?" she asked gently. Ami smiled when she saw him nod and set the menu down. She looked back at the menu. She really wanted to ask him why her? Why did she attract his attention out of all the other women who flung themselves at him?

It was silent for a moment, Ren had picked his menu up again and occasionally snuck glances at her while Ami kept her face buried in the menu. The waiter came and broke the awkward silence, taking their drink orders before leaving to fill them. When he returned to them with their drinks, the conversation seemed to pick up between the two. Ren asked her a little bit more about herself, finding out some interesting and saddening things. He, in turn, provided her with information that the media hadn't already released.

Ami simply smiled as she sipped on her drink when she listened to him talk, finding herself completely immersed with the lilt of his deep voice. Soon, she stopped paying attention to his voice and more to his appearance. Her eyes trailed from his lips to his chest, wondering what it would look like without that shirt covering it, if he had any tattoos...

If he was ripped and toned…Damn that was a lucky shirt.

Ami was brought of her trance when she felt his hand on hers. She blushed deeply when she realized that the waiter had brought the check to them and stammered out an apology. Her blush deepened when the star simply smiled at her and slipped some cash into the bill's jacket.

When the waiter came back to take the jacket, Ren looked down at his watch. "It's almost 11, wow," he chuckled in surprise before looking at Ami. "How about I give you a ride home?" he offered as he stood.

Blue eyes widened at the thought of being given a ride home by Ren made her blush increase ten-fold. She shook her head furiously, offering him a smile. "It's quite alright; I can make it home fine." Ami saw Ren narrow his eyes at her, giving her a welcoming smile.

"Aoi-me, this is a dangerous city…especially when it's so late out, let me give you a ride home." His voice was so inducing and smooth, hitting a slightly deeper range than his usual voice. It sent a shiver up her spine.

Ren watched Ami as she nodded gently, her face a deeper shade of red as she accepted his outstretched hand. Once she had gathered her things, Ren escorted the songbird to his waiting car where the driver helped her in.

The ride to Ami's dorm was quiet; Ami had found herself occasionally sneaking glances at the star, her heart beating frantically yet in time with the smooth jazz that was playing over the radio. She couldn't help but ask herself why. Why did he find her so interesting and why was he so damned nice to her? She bit her lip before clearing her throat. Now was the time to find out, if not now, when?

"A-Ano…Jinguuji-sama?" she piped nervously. He looked down at her with gentle blue eyes.

"Hai, Aoi-me?" Ren watched her as she fiddled with the hem of her blouse.

"Why do you…why am I…?" Ami stopped and started numerous times until she sighed in defeat. After a few more minutes in silence, Ami finally found the words to voice her thoughts. "J-Jinguuji-sama...why have you been so nice to me?

"What do you mean?"

Ami sighed as she looked down at her hands folded on her lap. "I mean…I know the usual kind of women you're seen around….everyone does. So why are you being so nice to—"Ami's sentence was cut off when the driver came on over the intercom to announce their arrival. She watched as Ren got out of the car before helping her out.

She thanked him and started to the door of the lobby, pausing when she saw him open the door for her. "Y-You've done enough for me, Jinguuji-sama," Ami stammered, her face returning to the unsurprising red color it held before.

Ren smiled down at her. "Then let me do this one last thing, Aoi-me." What the hell was he doing? Surely by now she thought that he had some perverse ulterior motive, but he didn't. He didn't have time to think about what was happening. He chuckled when he saw her brush a strand of hair behind her ear. She was just so different than the women that the business introduced him to, that he didn't know what to do with himself. She seemed so fragile that all he wanted to do was protect her. The only other woman he had those feelings about was Haruka-chan.

He looked down at her, shifting his position so that he was now leaning against the door frame. Ami could feel her blush deepen as she felt her heart continue to pound against her chest. He was close, too close…what was he thinking? She found herself close to panicking as the gap between them closed.

He was so close that she could feel his breath on her and smell the aromatic cologne he was wearing. She felt her brain melt when he smirked down at her and leaned closer to her as a hand reached up to cup her chin. "Aoi-me," he whispered.

"Y-Yes Jinguuji-sama?"

As he brought himself closer, their lips near touching, Ami could feel her eyes flutter half close. He inched closer and closer until…

Ren chuckled as he pressed his lips to her forehead. "Have a good night, Aoi-me," he smiled.

Ami touched her hand to her forehead, watching the singer as he returned to his car. He kissed her forehead? When he could have kissed her, he kissed her forehead... She blushed as she headed up to her room, her fingers still resting on her forehead as she thought. Then she realized that a part of her, more like most of her, wanted him to kiss her.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Kanae found herself becoming antsy. The time for reckoning was slowly approaching. She had sent in her own entry for the contest and she was confident she was going to be in at least the top three. It may be horrible, and on the selfish side, that the only reason she was so confident was because Ami, her best friend, had not yet sent in her song. And she was perfectly happy with that.

Ami….where was Ami? Usually the young woman would come by to see her and tell her about her day. Except, she hasn't. Strange to say that Kanae had gotten used to her easily excited disposition. Kanae looked at the clock, it was almost 12. Maybe she should go out and get some lunch, just to keep her distracted. She was sure that if she kept thinking about Ami, she would start thinking about the contest and that would just make her stressed out (as if she wasn't already).

Grabbing her jacket and music player, Kanae headed out into the real world. There was a café not too far from the dorms that she preferred to eat from, she could totally get a nice meal from there before their midday rush. She hummed to herself as she skipped down the road and past the park. She stopped however, when she saw an unbelievable sight. At first she had squinted to make sure that she was seeing it right and then she squealed when she realized that it was true.

That definitely was Jinguuji Ren sitting on a bench in the sun. Kanae watched him for a few minutes, seeing random fans walk up and ask him for his autograph. She then sighed and fixed herself up before walking up to him. "Anou, J-Jinguuji-sama?" she asked nervously. Kanae could feel her heart skip a beat when he looked up at her and flashed a gentle smile.

"Otestsudai shimasouka? Can I help you?" he asked.

"I-I was just wondering if it was you…I-I mean it's just so strange to s-see o-one of the idols of STARISH sitting on a bench," Kanae chuckled nervously and blushed when he chuckled as well.

"I'm just waiting for a beautiful friend of mine," Kanae watched him as he looked past her before standing up. "Here she is."

Kanae turned around and her jaw dropped when she saw Ami running up to the two, a large grin on her face. "Ne, Jinguuji-shi! Sorry I'm late!" she smiled happily. Ami ran past her as she hugged him tightly before she noticed Kanae had been standing there with a perplexed expression on her face. "Oh! Kana-chan~!" Ami giggled happily.

"You know him Ami?" Kanae stammered out after spending a moment in quiet puzzlement. How the hell did Ami know Ren? A better question would be how the hell did she know him well enough to hug him? Kanae's confused bewilderment increased when her friend nodded happily.

"Hai, I was going to tell you last night but I forgot," Ami chuckled, nervously scratching her cheek. Ami blinked in realization. "Oh! Ne, Jin-shi, this is my best friend Kana-chan. Kana-chan, you already know Jin-shi~"

Jin-shi? Was she hearing this correctly? When the hell did Ami get so close to Ren…Jinguuji Ren?! Inside, Kanae was freaking out, but on the outside she was as cool as a cucumber. Kanae bowed politely and smiled at him. "Hai, it's nice to finally meet you Jinguuji-san."

Ren returned the bow and smiled alluringly at Kanae. "Kanae, was it?" When Kanae blinked and nodded, Ren smiled at her again. "I remember seeing your name on a CD; you didn't happen to send in a submission, did you?"

"Yes I did. Did you listen to it yet?" Kanae asked, perking up slightly. The idea of already knowing what they thought of her singing was running at full speed through her mind. Her bright smile dimmed a bit when Ren shook his head.

"I haven't personally, no." He smiled before looking at the platinum Rolex on his wrist and turning to Ami. "Aoi-me, we might want to get going before I have to leave to record." Ren said sweetly causing Ami to blush.

"Oh right!" Ami giggled softly before turning to Kanae. "Would you like to join us Kana-chan?"

Kanae blinked before shaking her head. "No…no I was just getting ready to go meet someone. You two go and enjoy yourself…" Kanae feigned a smile before she continued in the direction she was originally heading. Aoi-me? They had to be kidding…she had to be dreaming…Ren had a pet name for her? She had to admit it…she was skeptical when Ami came to her saying that she met _the_ Jinguuji Ren. A part of her didn't believe that he would be interested in Ami at all; despite being pretty, Ami was flighty…flighty being the nicest word choice.

But after seeing it first hand, seeing how he looked at her and how it held certain tenderness that neither she nor probably anyone else had seen in his eyes...it was cliché but he was in love with her. It was the most cliché of clichés because she was positive he only knew Ami for a week, if not longer. Kanae scoffed, feeling a little sick at the thought. Why was Ami always so damned lucky? She was pretty, she could sing, she had parents that actually _loved _her…and now she had Jinguuji Ren.

Ami couldn't keep herself from frowning during her lunch with Ren. She couldn't help but keep thinking about the way Kanae looked at her. It wasn't full of just the normal twinge of jealousy that her friend would give a person whenever they bested her at something. No…she looked like she hated Ami. Like she wanted to hurt her…

Ami gave a distracted sigh. What could she do for her? It made her feel horrible knowing that Kanae felt like that…and towards her no less. Maybe "Mama" could help her when she came down tomorrow for her monthly visit. Being so wrapped up in her thoughts, Ami hadn't been paying attention to what Ren had been saying…she had even forgotten what the hell they were talking about in the first place.

"Aoi-me, ogenki desu ka?" Ren asked after touching her hand gently.

Ami blinked and nodded nervously. "H-Hai! I-I was just thinking about something…" she trailed off as she poked at the food in front of her.

"Is it your friend?"

Ami blinked and looked back at him. "How did you know?"

"I can tell by the look in your eye." Ren smiled softly as he rubbed the back of her hand. "Whatever it is, you two will settle it."

Ami looked at him and smiled, feeling her heart skip a beat at his touch. "A-Arigatou Jin-shi," she looked down. "I'm afraid Kana-chan is so stubborn though that she might not let us settle it."

Ren looked at her with an understanding smile. "With certain people you can't force it Aoi-me," he looked at his watch before smiling apologetically. "I have to get going, it was nice seeing you again, Aoi-me." Ren said as he set money down on the table.

Ami blinked and smiled sadly at him. "A-All right Jin-shi." They waved at each other before Ami watched him walk out of the café. She turned to look at her phone, her saddened look turning to one of determination when she saw a picture of her and Kanae. Now she was even more determined to send in her entry. She was going to win and then she was going to use the money to help Kanae.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Ami barricaded herself in her dorm over the course of the next two days. She was determined to get that entry finished and sent in before the final deadline arrived. For as long as it took, she was not going to leave—or at least try not to—until she had a recording that she found acceptable enough to be listened to by STARISH and Ren-kun. Ami was beyond determined at this point, no one was going to interrupt her…

Not even Kanae.

That wasn't to say that she wasn't trying her damnedest. When Ami told Kanae what exactly her plans were, Kanae knew what she had to do. At the risk of sounding like a horrible friend, she had to stop her friend from getting the recording done. It was to protect her chances of winning and to keep her parents off her ass for at least a little longer. Kanae knew that there was little chance of her getting into the finals; her chance would grow even smaller if Ami's "perfect" voice would enter the contest.

To Ami, it felt as if Kanae would pop in to ask Ami for her opinion about the most miniscule of things. It even got to the point where Kanae would ask to borrow things, even things that she most likely had or had no real use for at the moment. At one point, Kanae had popped in to ask Ami for some flour to bake a cake with. Ami sighed heavily as she walked into the small kitchen area of her dorm. As she got the small measuring cup out and the bag of flour, all Ami could think of was why? Kanae never baked because her cooking tasted like stir-fried cow shit, and those words came straight from Kanae's mouth. She looked at her friend, a fiendishly mellow smile on her face. Ami blinked as she put the flour away. "What's so funny Kanae?" she asked.

Kanae shook the smile off her face, only to have the corners of her mouth slowly creep back up to their previous positions. "Oh it's nothing; I'm just ready to get to cooking." Kanae smiled as she looked around the dorm and noticed the makeshift recording studio that Ami had set up in her living room. "Oh, you're recording your entry, aren't you?" she asked.

"No shit" was what Ami wanted to say to her friend but she smiled at her instead, a smile as bogus as the one that Kanae wore. "Yeah, I thought I told you that already," she chirped happily before handing the cup over to her. "You can stay and listen if you want." She offered...

Kanae shook her head, even though it was the perfect opportunity that the ditz offered to her. Somehow she made it too easy and she had to decline. Kanae took the cup of flour and left, after which Ami locked the door behind her. She hit the back of her head against the door lightly before hanging her head with a sigh.

"Maybe now I can get some actual work done," she sighed.

At 8:59 P.M. on the final day, the final entry arrived with seconds to spare. After listening to all of the entries that had been sent to them, and being disappointed by around 50% of them, the final entry had been a relief. Ren had been the one to pick it up, chuckling as he read the label on it. Aoi-me, he thought with a smile which he quickly wiped away before turning to the group. "This is the last one," he announced as he popped it into the player. As they listened, they fell silent as the beautiful voice rung in their ears. When the song finished, they looked at each other and nodded in agreement.

"It seems we have our top 3 then," Haruka smiled as she held up that tape and two more CDs.


End file.
